Design, Fabrication, and Evaluation of a Mechanical Sawdust Briquetting Machine - Tanhueco, Luke Alexis C. (Magalang, Pampanga : Pampanga State Agricultural University, 2020)
This study was conducted at the Pampanga State Agricultural University to design, fabricate and evaluate the performance of biomass briquetting machine. It aimed to design a low cost and portable briquetting machine using indigeneous materials and assured that cost is within the reach of an ordinary family. The machine was tested through producing briquettes in three different time. This was done to determine the performance of the briquetting machine in terms of briquetting efficiency, briquetting densification, and briquetting capacity. The briquetting efficiencyof the machine was 97.62% obtained in the seven (7) seconds compaction time. The machine had the mean efficiency of 95.72%. The densification of the machine was taken by computing the mass of a briquette divided by the volume. Seven (7) seconds compaction time gained the highest densification with a mean value of 0.85 g/cc. The lowest densification was obtained in the 3 seconds compaction time which is 0.67 g/cc. With regard to briquetting capacity, five (5) seconds obtained the highest capacity which has the mean value of 8.86 kg/hr. The mean capacity of the machine was 8.55 kg/hr. The total cost fabricating the biomass briquette stove was Php 12,461.00 which includes labor and materials. The payback period which is the time required to earn back the amount invested was computed as 0.16 year or 2 months.